Your Excellency President Robert Mugabe and Mrs Grace Mugabe,
Your Excellency Vice-President Mujuru,
Honourable Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
Honourable Deputy Prime Ministers
Honourable Ministers
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished guests
I would like to thank you, Your Excellency, for your kind words of welcome. We further wish to extend our words of gratitude for the warm and comradely hospitality you have extended to us since our arrival in your beautiful country.
We bring fraternal greetings from the people of South Africa who have closely followed with keen interest the positive developments that have taken place in this great country in recent times. These are positive developments that foretell good things that will come to the Zimbabwean nation. These positive developments are the historic signing of the Global Political Agreement and the subsequent formation of the Inclusive Government.
These achievements signalled to the people of Zimbabwe, the region and the world, that the Zimbabwean political leadership was ready to collectively tackle the political and the socio-economic challenges head-on. We are all encouraged by how the three parties put their differences aside in the service of this country. It is indeed very encouraging to note the significant progress that has been made under the auspices of the Inclusive Government.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) remains at your disposal for assistance. The remaining issues are not insurmountable and can be overcome. The most difficult path has already been travelled.
Your Excellency, the bonds that united us when we battled the inhumane systems of apartheid and colonialism still guide us today as we endeavour to build a better life for all our people. We remain very committed as guarantors of the implementation of the Global Political Agreement and partners, to continue working with the Zimbabwean people to find solutions.
Ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow we will be attending one of the mainstay shows in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society Show. We are humbled by the invitation extended to us to experience this country's enormous potential in agriculture. We are encouraged by what Zimbabwean farmers have managed to achieve amidst the scarcity of resources and the global recession that afflicts the world. We look forward to the show.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Please rise and join me in a toast to the people of Zimbabwe and to peace and prosperity! To the cherished success of the Global Political Agreement.
I thank you.
For more information contact:
Vincent Magwenya
Presidential Spokesperson
Cell: 072 715 0024
Nomfanelo Kota
International Relations and Cooperation Spokesperson
Cell: 082 459 3787
Issued by: The Presidency
27 August 2009
Source: SAPA
